Track hurdles over personal goals

Though the school year is winding to a close, the 2011 spring varsity track season is just beginning. With seven more meets to participate in, this season looks like it will be one of personal achievement, according to distance runner freshman, Will Ferrer.


“Since they rarely tell you who won or lost at track meets,” Ferrer said, a freshman. “You focus more on personal goals rather than team records.”


Led by Coach Clifford Wong, a leader who describes track as “being in [his] blood,” the team has only one “confirmed” win against South Lakes on April 6 as of press time.


“We are a young team, so therefore we are inexperienced,” Wong said. Though the team has a lot of potential to be “something great” in upcoming years, a lot of practice is still required to reach that goal.


“We’ve just got to run, run, run,” Wong said.


“Basically we’re in the eye of the tiger,” said AJ Norton, a senior and nine season, three-year veteran of the track team.


The meets are a different story.The variety of events, from distance runs to pole-vaults, are not suited for the faint of heart, according to Norton. These meets can last up to four hours on a school night and twelve hours on weekends.


“We’re hoping to make it to regional and [states] this year,” Norton said.


According to sophomore Chris Morrison, senior teammates Jimmy Werking, a distance runner and a team leader, Norton, who Morrison considers the fastest distance runner on the team, and sophomore Jason Tinio, a hurdler with good experience, are the best prospects for the upcoming District meets.


In the meantime, runners are preparing for the upcoming Victor Cahoon Track Classic next Saturday at Osbourn Park High school and a Liberty District Champs Day meet at Thomas Jefferson High School on May 17.


“It’s intense,” Wong said. “But we’ve just got to keep going.